Mass Effect: Prophet's Legacy
by Nagato21
Summary: Victory against demons demanded that man sacrifices his flesh, in the distant future where man has conquered the stars he will face Dark Gods of unimaginable powers and the price for survival, let alone existence will be his very soul. The question is will it be enough? ME Crysis Xover fic and challenge for anyone interested, PM first.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, this is Nagato21**

**It's been a long time since I have posted anything on . I want to apologize once more for not meeting the expectations of those who waited for me to continue writting Stargate Unbound. Truth is I have a major writer bloc concerning that fic and my personal life is not helping. For now I am just taking it easy and hopefully my muse will come back but for now Stargate Unbound and my other fics are on hiatus and I will update there status soon. In the meantime I decided to post this story a crossover between Mass Effect and Crysis however I make no promise on when will I upload additional chapter. The following content below is a timeline to describe what happened after Crysis 4 and how it ties in Mass Effect. I am also issuing this fic as a challenge to any passionate writer but at the condition that they inform me and acknowledge that I am the ONE *chuckles* But seriously do that or I will be pissed because it is very disrespectful to take someone's story like that. Further conditions will be listed below so read it.**

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_**2047-2056: Global unification **_

Following the events at the Liberty Dome and the destruction of the Ceph spaceship, CELL Corporation faced a massive public and political backlash due to their irresponsible use of alien technology and attempt at global domination through the energy market. This resulted in nearly all of their assets to be frozen worldwide. However CELL still possessed a large amount of resources and a powerful military augmented with the latest technology to rival a superpower. The United States of America, along with most of the dominant powers on Earth have been greatly weakened by the Ceph war of 2024 coupled by the ecological disaster caused by the alien conflict, along with the machinations of CELL thus they were unable to effectively deal against the giant corporation and its private armies.

On February 3rd 2048, the UN Security Council gathered in Iceland to discuss the threat posed by CELL and the remaining Ceph pockets of resistance. A decision was made unanimously to create an international military Taskforce of Special Operatives and give them unlimited resources to deal with the global threats. The Taskforce codename Fenrir was led by British former SAS Michael Sykes also a former Nanosuit user under the call sign Psycho to hunt down CELL and bring its board of Directors to justice. Using the left over research from Rash Hargreaves and the support of Nathan Gould and salvaged CELL technology, Fenrir members were outfitted with the Nanosuit 1.3 similar to the 1.0 model but less powerful than the 2.0 and without the fatal side effects.

For nearly five years, Fenrir fought CELL and the remaining Ceph pockets across the entire globe, uncovering gruesome experiments from CELL; securing Ceph technological caches and liberating entire populations from a megalomaniac corporation bent on world conquest.

The war ended in June 21st 2053 in Tunguska, Russia which housed another proto Alpha Ceph cloned from the previous one by CELL to resurrect System X. Fenrir arrested the Board of Directors and destroyed the Proto-Alpha before it could fully mature.

The war over did not come without a price, CELL System X had crippled the economy for three decades and despite its destruction by Prophet, entire nations suffered economic and national collapse due to the lack of free energy. Realizing that human civilization was on the edge of extinction, the UN General Assembly agreed to form a united government with broad administrative powers in order to rebuild society. On May 5th 2054, the United Earth Alliance was born a democratic supranational government based on the Federal system of the USA, thus granting certain autonomy to its nation members.

Following post war reconstruction Taskforce Fenrir was dissolved and its core members assimilated into the newly established United Earth Military Command to take advantage of their experience and skills. The salvage of Ceph and CELL technologies helped greatly the UEA in rebuilding Earth; from it came two major discoveries: Plasma Fusion, derived from Ceph energy sources, plasma fusion allowed for a better generation of energy without the drawback encountered with nuclear fusion. Further research into Plasma fusion enabled the development of anti-gravity and direct energy base weapon systems as well as energy barriers. The second discovery was the Nano Mods, specialize nanomachines which could enhance portions of the human biology like its brain, or muscles granting abilities on par with the Nanosuit. By 2055, all UEA military forces were granted Nano Modification, a few Mods were released to the civilian market but mostly for medical reasons and with strict guidance protocols to prevent misusing.

_**2058-2079: Space Colonization**_

Researches were furthered in electrogravitic technology as well as ion propulsion, computer nanotechnologies and new metal alloys ushered a new technological age for mankind.

In 2058, the UEA announced the Space Colonization Plan in an effort to overcome Earth's overpopulation and expand humanity across outer space. Extensive surveys of Mars and Jupiter satellites were performed by a multitude of exploration drones. Colonization of the moon or Luna began in 2059 following the discovery of large reserves of Helium-3. Under the careful watch of the UEA Space Command, private sectors were allowed to develop colonies and industries on Luna but were strictly monitored to prevent these companies from taking advantage of the colonists like CELL had done with its employees in the past.

In order to survive the rigors of outer-space and hostile off world environments, Nano enhancements were provided to all colonists and massive Nanodomes like the ones built on earth by Cell were erected, allowing the creation of Earth like biospheres. These domes were heavily reinforced by Nano-armor skin similar to the Nanosuit armor mod but as a permanent feature.

By 2065, twenty Nanodomes were built on the surface of Luna, housing a population of six hundred millions, which kept on growing. Mars colonization unlike Luna progressed slowly with only six Nanodomes and a dozen mining installations due to its distance and mankind's fear that other Ceph hives might be hiding in the Sol system. With Luna providing a suitable space industry, the UEA focused its effort in developing a strong orbital defense system along with a rapid reaction force in case its colonies ever got under attack. Such defenses included the orbital weapon platforms Cyclops developed from CELL Archangel Satellite weapon; each platform came armed with two positron energy canons, four Railguns and dozens of nuclear missiles. Research on the Nanosuit evolved into the Nano Armor Suit or NAS; while not as powerful as the Nanosuit it provided the user with a broad range of abilities that were on par with Ceph infantries. To support infantry operations, bipedal weapon platforms called Mechs were developed, allowing Alliance troops to field large amount of firepower. The biggest development was the Plasma Energy Shield, while it required massive amounts of power to sustain such a large force field; the UEA spared no expenses to install them on every major city on Earth in case of orbital bombardment.

By 2079, nearly a billion humans lived in outer space. So far no sign of the Ceph have yet to be found, but the UEA still keeps a watchful eye, never forgetting the horrors the aliens invited upon humanity.

_**2081-2086: The Second Ceph Incursion**_

It was on May 2081 that reports of a plague similar to the Ceph virus of 2024 began to make its appearance on Mars. Fortunately Nano Meds (medical nanomachines) developed to combat the virus were already made available and the catastrophe was rapidly averted. However the UEA Space Command was put into an immediate state of alert and all Martian colonies were under quarantine. The Fenrir Taskforce after several decades of inactivity was re-activated and once again fell under the command of Psycho; now a General in the UEA Marine Corp. Fenrir debarked on Mars on June 2081 and immediately set out to discreetly investigate the source of the Ceph virus. Their search led them to the Marineris Valley where several mining installations had gone dark before the outbreak. Upon arriving, Fenrir discovered what they feared: a Ceph hive, hidden underground. Casualties were high, but the technology, training and experience of the veteran UEA soldiers proved to be the determining factor against the Ceph who were then defeated courtesy of a nano virus uploaded into the Hive Core.

Unfortunately the Hive in question was a diversion for the Ceph into reactivating several other hives into full power. Six Divisions of UEA Marines backed by dozens of warships arrived on Mars to evacuate the population and combat the alien menace. For six years, human and Ceph battled on the red planet with no end in sight. The Ceph in order to survive Mars hostile surface had built terraforming towers all across the planet and used the underground network of frozen water veins in the Poles to create pockets of biospheres. These biospheres similar to Nanodomes were heavily fortified and became breeding place for the Ceph, allowing them to produce an unlimited number of soldiers. While the UEA could match the numbers of the Ceph for a time, it was rapidly losing ground by sheer attrition and the Ceph were constantly developing or evolving their weapons to the point that humanity would not be able to match them anymore.

In desperation, UEA High Command decided to reactivate Major Laurence Barnes, aka Prophet, Nanosuit user 2.0.

Prophet had been living at Lingshan Island since the events of the Liberty Dome. His symbiosis with the Nanosuit was such that, Prophet had become immortal and decided to live as a recluse. Knowing humanity was under threat, Prophet once again joined the fight. On August 2086, Prophet led a Fenrir strike team into a Ceph Fortress on the Northern Pole of Mars. Inside Prophet was able to obtain critical data to the location of the Ceph Primary Hive on Mars as well as another Alpha Ceph, but the final piece was Prophet Nanosuit upon interacting with the Ceph Hive Network, evolved into a new biological super weapon similar to what happened in New York. Gambling everything on their new weapon, the UEA launched an all out assault against the Primary Hive. After six days of battle, Prophet reached the Alpha Ceph and used it as a catalyst to spread the Virus, which wiped out all of the Ceph on Mars but at the cost of his own life.

_**2089-2130: Mars Rebirth**_

Following the end of the war on Mars, the UEA salvaged many left over Ceph technology, primarily the terraforming towers and the biospheres. Through careful studies of these two items, human scientists developed their own version of nano-spores, the Genesis Cell, bio mechanical nanites capable of modifying the atmosphere of a planet or even bring life to a dead planet so long as the necessary materials were implanted into it.

The effect of such discovery was instantaneous; after making sure not a single Ceph organism was left alive on Mars and evacuating all humans from the planet, the UEA approved for the testing of the Genesis Cell. On February 15th 2092, six hundred trillions of algae containing Genesis Cell were dumped on Mars surface; they would absorb Carbon Dioxide and replace it with oxygen. At the same time, hundreds of subterranean nuclear torpedoes were launched into Mars inert core to reactivate it, allowing the rebirth of the planet's magnetic field.

On May 2094, Mars experienced its first rainstorm which would last for two years without interruption. This rainstorm would cause the temperature of the planet to rise dramatically and cause the Northern Pole glaciers to melt and leading to the formation of its first ocean that would divide the Northern Hemisphere landmass into two distinct continents. Meanwhile the underground water network was ripped open by engineers who used it to create a series of lakes and rivers in the Southern Hemisphere.

With Mars becoming a garden world, millions of people began to arrive in hopes of a fresh start. To prevent ecological disasters like what happened on Earth, the UEA created massive Archology towers all over the planet, to house the new colonists. Additionally a new batch of Nano Mods was created a distributed to the population. These new Mods would protect the colonists against any form of disease or genetic mutation caused by the new environment, ensuring perfect health and longevity. The Ceph biospheres were reconverted and assimilated by the new ecosphere. The Nanodomes were kept in service and fifty more were built despite their uselessness; they were intended to act as backup terraforming reserves in case the ecosystem was damaged and also to serve as shelters in case of an alien attack.

By 2130, The Genesis Project was proven to be a massive success; Mars had become a second Earth, boasting a population of one billion humans and still growing. The success of terraforming was soon emulated onto other planets in Sol, mainly the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

_**September 2134: The Prothean Effect**_

It was on September 3rd 2134 that Mars revealed another of its secrets. A mining expedition in the Southern Pole had discovered alien ruins of unknown origins. Of course the UEA was immediately notified. A Fenrir Recon Team was dispatch to scout the area while a detachment of UEA Marine Corps quarantined the entire area. Several orbital weapon platforms were redirected above the ruins in case an alien threat was confirmed.

The Fenrir Recon Team or FRT discovered more than ruins, hidden inside a chasm lay a well camouflaged underground complex. After ten hours of exploration, the FRT concluded that the structure wasn't Ceph but a totally different alien origin although it shared the functionality seen in human architecture. For two weeks, the UEA dispatched several scientist groups under heavy armed escort to investigate the complex. Inside it they found several rooms filled with prehistoric Cro-Magnon human tools, proving the aliens had been observing humanity. They also discovered several terminals and data banks containing trove of information about science, mathematics, medicine, biology and physics. The biggest discovery was undoubtedly the existence of Mass Effect and its applications.

These aliens called the Prothean had left a treasure of unquantifiable knowledge that would forever change mankind. However rather than be overjoyed, the UEA and most of humanity were suspicious of the Prothean gift, nonetheless extensive studies of the data were made in an attempt to reverse engineer the technology for human purpose. One of the most important technologies being researched is the Mass Effect FTL Drive but due to static kinetic build up inside the drive core, the potential seems limited. Priority was thus given to find means to counter this fatal drawback.

_**2136-2139: Charon Revealed**_

The Prothean database gave coordinates of Charon, the moon orbiting Pluto. UEA ships were deployed and after extensive scans, the moon was revealed to be nothing more than an ice sheet hiding a Mass Relay. The discovery of the Relay would herald mankind ability to travel across the galaxy thus was considered as a vital asset for interstellar colonization but it also represented a major strategic threat because it resided in humanity's home star system. A decision was made to move the Relay from its original location to deep inside the Oort cloud where the debris belt would act as a natural barrier against potential invaders supplemented by a swarm of orbital weapon platforms, warships aimed at the alien construct.

On March 19th 2137, a single frigate the USS Endeavor under the command of Captain John Grissom was sent across the Charon relay and arrived in the Arcturus system located thirty six light years from Sol. In Arcturus, Grissom and his crew found four other Mass Relays confirming that these devices are part of a large galactic network. Once confirming the system was uninhabited preparations were made to move all the Relays inside Arcturus Oort Cloud, including the one leading to Sol, along with constructions of several battle stations and naval hubs in order to monitor all traffic from the relays.

_**2140-2150: Interstellar revolution**_

After three years of research, development of a static build converter now enables ships to execute longer FTL jumps, prompting the UEA to begin large scale production of colony ships intended for colonizing not only worlds through the mass relays but also in the local cluster. The reason was simple in case if a hostile race is using the Mass Relay and proves unstoppable, the worlds colonized outside the network would offer humanity a fallback point from where to rebuild its civilization.

By 2148, humanity has colonized more than fifty star systems through the Mass Relays and a dozen via FTL around Sol on a radius of two hundred light years. However the UEA never took into account that billions of people would join the colonization effort at such a rapid pace which inadvertently transformed many colonies into major industrial and economic powers that would soon rival Earth in just a short decade. Another conundrum was that Earth had also become tightly dependent from the resources and economies of its extra-solar colonies and if they decided to secede the UEA would experience economical collapse.

After months of debates, in February 11th 2150, following an interstellar wide referendum, the UEA was dissolved and replaced by the United Stars Federation, it followed the same charter as its predecessor but with a few additions such as recognizing every colony reaching a ten million population mark and be self sufficient as a sovereign state with a representative at the Federation Congress and Senate. The United Stars Federation Command or USFC would be in charge of all military aspect of the Federation and while the colonies would have the right to raise an independent militia and orbital defenses for protection; in the event of an interstellar wide emergency they would fall under the direct command of the USFC.

_**2157: Second First Contact**_

USFC deep space monitoring stations observing the yet unexplored Attican Traverse detect several unusual Mass Effect signatures consistent with FTL travel but the energy readings suggest a massive fleet which is on approach to Federation territory. Stealth frigates are deployed to investigate. On April 8th 2157, the USS Dark Eye arrives in the Keppler Verge and stumbles upon a fleet of fifty thousand vessels of various state of disrepair including three massive ships measuring each two kilometers in length. USS Dark Eye attempts to hack the alien ships with its onboard AI but surprisingly the aliens have powerful firewall and electronic warfare defenses, nonetheless the stealth frigate is able to obtain information about their languages and species before returning to Federation space. After the Dark Eye made its report, Federation High Command and Senate agree to begin extensive observation of these 'Quarian' before attempting first contact. After two months of study, First Contact is approved and the diplomatic vessel USS Harmony escorted by a single battlegroup is sent to make contact with the Quarian Migrant Fleet. The Quarians are quite startled to encounter a new space faring race but agree to meet. The Quarians reveal the existence of the Citadel Species Alliance and its governing body the Council, along with the various factions in the galaxy that uses Mass Effect technology. Humanity is quite shocked to discover the existence of such galactic community and the fact that none of them are aware of the Ceph. As for the Quarian they are amazed by humanity's technological advances without the use of Mass Effect, especially in the fields of nanotechnology despite their abhorring of AI. Upon studying the Codex provided by the Quarians, Federation leadership decides to not contact the Citadel Council until it has consolidated all of its holdings due to their past and present policies like the Quarian exile, the Krogan genophage and the tolerance of Batarian slave practices. A trade agreement is formalized between the USF and the Quarian Migrant Fleet, allowing the Quarian access to Federation starship market and plasma fusion technology as well and limited nanotechnology in exchange for the Quarian expertise in Mass Effect technology.

_**2159-2167: Second Expansion**_

With access to Quarian star charts, the Federation begins a careful colonization of the Attican Traverse. Dozens of worlds such as New Babylon, Shanxi, Mindoir, Amateratsu, Horizon, Ferris Fields, Freedom Progress, New Teheran and Benedict are colonized and develop rapidly. To protect the region from potential hostile forces, Elysium is transformed into a fortress world, becoming the primary military and economic hub of the Federation in the Attican Traverse.

In June 11th 2162, the Federation discovers Rakana; homeworld of the Drell, a reptilian species in pre-space flight development that has experienced societal collapse due to pollution and lack of resources. As a gesture of pity the Federation approaches the Drell and offers them to rebuild Rakana to its original condition using the Genesis Cells. The Drell unanimously accept and two years later in 2164, seventy percent of Rakana has recovered its original state; humbled by the actions of humanity, the Drell request joining the Federation. In the same year the Drell Republic is recognized as protectorate of the Federation until it's becomes an independent star faring species. The decision to bring the Drell into the Federation causes a revision of Universal Human Rights into the Universal Sentient Bill of Rights encompassing any sentient life forms encountered by the Federation. This new bill impresses the homeless Quarians who now entertains thoughts of joining the Federation. In 2166, the Quarian are offered a number of dextro garden worlds recently discovered in uncharted Traverse systems, in addition the Federation proposes to use its nanotechnology to help resolve the Quarians immune deficiency problems due to living for centuries in outer space but this comes at the condition that the Quarian will not try to use Federation resources to go against the Geth. By 2167 the Quarians finally agree to join the Federation.

_**2173-2178: The Skyllian War**_

In February 2nd 2173, a fleet of slavers and pirates discover the colony of Mindoir and attempts to raid it but the extensive orbital defenses and trained garrison of mixed human, Drell and Quarians easily wipe out the criminal fleet. A few ships that survived manage to return to Torfan and tell the tale of a new race of aliens allied with the Quarians. News of this reaches the Salarian STG who has been trying to locate the Quarian Migrant Fleet for several years now. STG dispatches stealth ships to investigate. However the Batarian Hegemony has also heard of this new development and scout ships have also discovered new worlds inhabited by the new aliens.

On May 14th 2173, the Batarian Hegemony launches a full scale attack on the colony of Elysium. However the entire offensive is a total fiasco as Elysium orbital defense network and orbital defense fleet easily wipes out the Batarian armada in less than an hour. Over the next few months the Federation will repel several Batarian raids on many colonies in the Terminus and Traverse. The constant attacks by the Batarians and their attempt to enslave their population prompts the Senate and Congress with public opinion to entertain declaring war against the Hegemony but cooler heads prevail by warning that the Citadel Council might decide to support the Batarian if the Federation does not establish first contact with the Council. While the debate would continue for the next two years, the Federation military launches several punitive raids on pirate and slaver bases across the Terminus and Traverse; however Torfan is declared off limit due to its proximity with the Batarian Hegemony.

Everything changes in November 2175 when Batarian scout ships accidentally arrive at Rakana and discover that the planet has ecologically recovered and the Drell underwent a massive technological build up. The Hegemony dispatches two hundred ships including four Dreadnaughts to secure the Drell homeworld. Despite its superior technology and weaponry, the Federation small garrison fleet is unable to stop Batarian troop ships from landing on the planet as Batarian soldiers slaughters or capture as many Drell or humans as possible. However they are unable to seize or occupy any strategic area due to the skills, determination of the Drell Republican Guard and Federation troops, furthermore they are unable to secure any Federation technology due to biometric failsafe that prevents theft. Federation 5th and 7th fleets arrive eight hours after the attack and destroy the majority of the Batarian fleet but many vessels carrying hostages onboard manage to flee. Unknown to the Federation at the time, a Salarian STG stealth frigate had observed the entire battle but was forced to flee because it was detected, the Federation simply assumed it to be an enemy.

The Federation tracks down the slave ships to Torfan and to Karshan the Batarian homeworld. Enraged by the atrocities of the Batarian, the Congress declares war upon the Hegemony. On December 2175, Federation 5th, 6th and 7th fleets invade the Batarian Hegemony, destroying every military bases and anchorage stations within sight. Torfan is isolated and cut off from the galaxy. The 8th Fenrir Regiment comprised of human, Drell and Quarian Troopers are deployed to the planet and successfully rescue the survivors of Rakana and millions of slaves from a dozen other species; the rest of the planet is wiped out by orbital bombardment and the footage sent over the extranet.

Already warned by the Salarian STG, the Citadel Council decides to contact the Federation but the Federation refuses any talks unless the Batarian leaders are brought to justice.

By March 2176, the Batarian Hegemony has lost two third of its territory and its navy and military forces are nearly wiped out. Because slavery is considered a crime against sentient life by Federation's laws punishable by death, USFAF forces in occupied Hegemony worlds execute many Batarian slavers, sometimes even wiping out entire worlds after rescuing the slaves sowing much terror amongst the Hegemony ranks. Aware of the lower caste system, the Federation arm and trains several Batarians who seek to overthrow the current regime resulting in the Hegemony fighting a war on two fronts, this results in several Batarian colonies openly declaring independence from their central government.

Tired and weary of the Federation constantly ignoring them, the Citadel Council orders a joint Turian Asari fleet to Karshan. As the Federation fleet arrives at the Batarian home system they are greeted by five hundred ships led by the Destiny Ascension. Matriarch Lidinya, Matriarch Benezia and General Adrian Victus send an ultimatum to the Federation fleet, "Stand down for talks or fight against the entire galaxy." The Federation agrees to stand down but at the condition that all the slaves taken on Rakana be returned.

On June 11th 2176, the USF agrees for a peace treaty but at the condition that the Hegemony acknowledges the independence of any Batarian colony that wishes to secede from their government, furthermore it will relinquish any plans of expending into the Traverse. Despite their loud protests the Batarian leaders agree to those conditions as well as agreeing to the establishment of a demilitarize zone between the USF, the Independent Batarian colonies and the Hegemony.

Following the end of the so called Terminus War, the Federation and the Citadel begin diplomatic negotiations. The Citadel Council impressed by the technological advances of humanity offers them to join the Citadel as an associate species but at the condition that they separate from the Quarians and Drell. The Council cites its reasons that the Quarians are still considered criminals and the Drell are considered a pre-space flight civilization that should be left to develop alone.

Furthermore the Council is weary of the Federation use of nanotechnology, research in AIs and its habit of relocating mass relays as well as opening dormant ones. The Federation is appalled by the arrogance and hypocrisy of the Citadel Council and refuses any of its conditions except for the one concerning the dormant mass relays.

As a result tensions begin to mount mainly with the Turians who see the Federation as a dangerous and potential hostile faction. In March 11th 2177 a conflict erupts when a Turian patrol fleet discovers a Federation expedition studying a dormant relay near the Federal colony of Shanxi in the Theta system. Without warning the Turians open fire, destroying two science vessels but they sustain heavy losses when the Federation escort ships retaliate forcing them to withdraw. A week later the Hierarchy deploys the 45th Fleet and two Legions to the Theta system intending to punish the USF and force them into submission. The invasion force arrives at Shanxi were they engage against the USF 5th Fleet who had been waiting for an eventual attack. Despite the Federation superior technology, the Turian superior numbers and experience in space warfare results in a stalemate and many casualties as both fleets try to secure the planet's orbit. On the ground the battle is much more vicious as the Turian army aggressively attempts to force the people of Shanxi into submission by deliberately targeting civilian population centers or performing mass executions. However they are unsuccessful as the USF Marines along with Shanxi's militia using a combination of guerilla warfare and supported by Nanosuit Fenrir operatives easily disrupt the momentum of the Turian army and following the gruesome assassination of several high ranking officers' as well as destruction of critical supplies, the Hierarchy soldiers rapidly lose their discipline and moral. By the end of the week Federation reinforcements led by the Super Dreadnaught USS Prophet arrives on Shanxi and single handedly destroy one third of the Turian space fleet. On the ground the Turian forces are overwhelmed by the blitzkrieg attacks of the local defenders supported by orbital insertions from Marines and Mech groups behind their lines. By March 28th what remains of the Turian force flee back to the Hierarchy in what could be described as a panic mob. Following the Turian retreat, the Federation immediately invades the Hierarchy territories in the Skyllian Verge, destroying every warship, military facilities and communication centers while at the same time blockading the major relays across the region, preventing a proper counter attack.

Enraged by their defeat the Turians are about to declare all out war but the Council intervenes and calm both sides. In the end a compromised is reached in November 2178 with the signing of the Huerta Accords, the Federation is acknowledged by the Citadel Council as an independent sovereign state, they are granted an embassy in the Citadel for diplomatic purposes only. In return the Federation will no longer open dormant Mass Relays and will abide by the treaty of Farixen limiting its existing number of Dreadnaughts. Limited trade in the fields of medical and energy technology will be available but the Federation will not share its energy weapons and their AI as well as nanotech technology will not be allowed in Citadel space.

_**2179-2188: The Cold War**_

With the signing of the Huerta Accords, tensions begin to lessen but it is clear that a state of cold war has begun between the USF and the Citadel. The latter sees the USF, particularly the humans as a young and unpredictable race. The Federation sees the Council as a corrupt stagnant and incompetent bureaucracy that put the status quo ahead of the needs of its people and progress.

Nonetheless trade rapidly formalizes between the two galactic powers, the Volus and Asari establish several lucrative trade agreements with the Federation further strengthening relations. Surprisingly the Hierarchy and Federation perform several joint missions against pirates and slavers in the Terminus. On the other hand relations with the Salarians are strained due to their many attempts to steal Federation technologies or formant rebellion within Federation territories.

As the Federation switched to a post war economy, several former Batarian colonies are redeveloped into multi-species hubs in order to better foster relations between the races of the USF and the Citadel. USFC budget is tripled and focus on planetary defenses is given a top priority. The USF Marine Corps is expanded and reformed to adopt a new doctrine known as the Regimental Combat Team, a regiment size strength comprised of infantry, air and armor asset that can be deployed rapidly and anywhere.

While the treaty of Farixen limits the number of Dreadnaughts, the Federation finds several loopholes and focus on the construction of aircraft carriers, Battlecruisers and destroyers. The existing fleet of Dreadnaughts is slowly phased-out in favors of Prophet-class Super Dreadnaughts and plans are made for the construction of Super carriers in the event of war with the Citadel or the Ceph.

Aware of the threat the Federation could pause to their way of life, the Citadel Council secretly allows the Turian Hierarchy to increase its number of Dreadnaughts. The Asari Republics with the blessing of the Asari Matriarch shares several secret technologies from the Beacon of Athame to the other Council races in order to develop better weapons and ships. The Salarians meanwhile work behind the scenes to strengthen the Batarian Hegemony and uplift new species to act as soldiers for the future war.

2192:

February

Prothean ruins are discovered on several worlds across the Attican Traverse and Skyllian Verge. To foster better relations the USF agrees for a joint study of the ruins with Citadel scientists. Federation scientists uncover evidences on several dead worlds of unnatural extinction level events across the galaxy over several billions of years with the last one dating fifty thousand years. This leads the Federation to believe either the Ceph or a more powerful race may be behind these events.

July

Project November, the fusion of nanotechnology and biotic science is completed giving birth to the Nanosuit 3.0. The suit is produced in limited quantity and given to the best Fenrir operatives in the Federation for testing.

September

Project Normandy the first stealth destroyer of its kind begins. The USS Normandy is slated to become the culmination of all the technological achievements made by the Federation in the fields of nanotechnology, energy fusion and mass effect technology. Once completed the Normandy will represents the pinnacle of Federation military technology and the spearhead of a new generation of warship never seen in galactic history.

2193:

March 3rd

The USS Normandy is completed, ahead of schedule. This is due to the use of the Nano Molecular Construction System or NMCS which uses nanomachines and a variety of mineral resources, fibers and mass effect fields to build ship parts and components with extreme precision and speed before final assembly. Veteran Fenrir operative David Anderson is selected as Captain of the Normandy and his protégé another Fenrir operative Commander Jonas Sheppard is selected as his XO.

April 12th

A Prothean beacon is uncovered on Eden Prime. The Federation and the Council agree to a joint study of the artifact as an effort to better relations between the two governments. The USS Normandy is ordered to Eden Prime to recover the beacon under the cover of a shakedown run. Specter Nihlus Krydnik joins the Normandy as part of the joint force.

**Well there you go my first cross-over and challenge.**

**Quick info: **

**Fenrir is basically the N7 equivalent of the Systems Alliance for the Federation and is its premier Special Forces unit, the difference however is that they use the Nanosuit which is reserved for the most skilled operatives. For obvious reasons Nanosuit 2.0 no longer exist and is considered the missing link.**

**Prophet is dead but his legacy remain, I will have my own twist to it but for those who want to take the challenge feel free to add your own spin.**

**As the story start humanity only has a single generation of biotics but it is not accidental and it is very limited.  
**

**Federation vs Citadel will be very important but it will not be an armed conflict but an ideological one, the Citadel prides itself as an alliance of several species where all cooperate for prosperity but it is a lie, only a select few benefits from this alliance. The Federation on the other hand does not make the distinction between races and as explained in the timeline all colonies reaching a certain population number and showing self sustainance are recognized as a sovereign states with a representative in the Congress and Senate. Of course it is not perfect but like America it is a land of opportunities. Of course the Federation has its own fallings, like the USA of old they have a tendency to butt into other people's business and they have a zero tolerance policy for terrorists and slavers which means that they are not finished with the Hegemony or the Terminus regions.**

**Now about the Reapers, they will be very SCARY *capital letters*, In my opinion a race that has committed genocide for billions of years must have seen everything and in this cycle, the Federation Nanotech while powerful will not impress them. If you intend to take this challenge you need to espouse the spirits of Crysis, a hopeless war where one must sacrifice flesh and soul to achieve victory just like Prophet, so be creative.**

**As for the Ceph they are still around and they are waiting, how you bring them into the story is your own prerogative but you must at least add hints of their presence.**

**There is no Cerberus, just greedy Capitalists and they are not welcome in Federation space, not after what Cell did in 2047, seems like Terminus space is a good enough place to invest...hint enough for you.**

**Finally about Shepard, mine here is a guy, I didn't add any background as it will be revealed in further chapters and I have not decided yet what he will be except being a Fenrir operative with the Nanosuit 3.0. Yours can be a male or female, hell it can be another species, be creative.**

**That will be all, have fun.**


	2. USF Database part 1

**Here is a brief codex of the USF, it is only the first part and I will be adding more later, for now this is a brief description of the USF and its military take not that while it is similar to the USA it is vastly different and there are hints of sinister in it which is on purpose. I draw the inspiration from the UNSC of Halo, The Terran Federation of Starship Troopers and many sci-fi vids, cookies for the ones who finds them.**

**United Stars Federation**

The United Stars Federation is a multi-species ultra liberal democratic government comprised primarily of humans, Quarian, Drell and Batarian; with Turian, Salarian and Asari coming as a minority. Unlike the Citadel Alliance, the USF does not make any distinction or separation between the races in its territory, granting citizenship to any who seek it so long as they follow and respect the law.

Being a USF citizen means no poverty; even the lowly dock worker has a house over his head, access to medical facilities and is given free education. Employment is mandatory but at the age of 19, if one doesn't have a job he/she will be given one by the state by joining the military for a period of five years, receive full pension and benefits as well as career orientation. Orientation courses are also available to help one choose a career but it is strictly voluntary, with neuro technology, one can learn the basics of nearly every skills or profession. Even criminals are put to work and depending on the sentence and type of crime the job varies. The Death penalty exists of course for the most violent criminals and traitors but some are given the chance to serve in the penal regiments who are often assigned to hard labor on far flung colonies within a hostile environment or suicide missions.

Every world within the Federation reaching a ten million population mark and having achieved auto sufficiency will be recognized as an independent state with a representative in the Congress and a Senate member. The Congress is in charge of examining and proposing laws, while the Senate is in charge of ensuring that there is an equal distribution of wealth and resources, they also act as an oversight committee for the various Federal branches such as Diplomacy, Science and Military.

The Executive branch is handled by the President who acts as the Chief Representative of the Federation. President candidates are the leader of their respective worlds who are then chosen by a majority within the Congress, the Congress members can only endorse their votes through popular opinion of their respective worlds meaning they must convince them, each congress member have two votes and cannot vote for the same person twice. A Senator or Congress member can become a running candidate but at the condition to never run for politics again. The candidate with the second largest amount of votes is sworn in as Vice President. The mandate for Presidency is eight years, re-election is permissible only twice.

**Federation Military**

The United Stars Federation Command or USFC is the military and exploration arm of the United Stars Federation. It regroups the United Stars Federation Navy (USFN), the United Stars Federation Marine Corps (USFMC) and the Federal Military Intelligence (FMI). The USFC is considered a separate organization from the government. Its Chief of Staff is not appointed by the President but through a meritocratic evaluation that starts from its first year of enlistment and is supervised by a secret panel. The Chief of Staff authority could be considered dictatorial but it is mitigated by the Security Council whose members include the President, Head of the Judicial Branch and the various Secretaries Of Defense or its equivalent from every Federation state world.

The role of the Security Council is to ensure the defense of the Federation at all cost. All military operations including the covert ones are decided by a majority rule but none are privy to the public except the Federation Oversight Committee who will decide if the contents must be reveal or not. In the event of war the Security Council automatically assumes all governance of the Federation and the use of its resources so long as it does not infringe upon the liberties of its citizens.

The Federation military is a formidable and well trained force that emphasizes skills and professionalism above all else. With the advances in nanotechnology and neuro-technology, the maximum duration of basic training for military personnel in all branches is three months with the first two months used for nano-augmentation and conditioning, the last month is for specialization and procedural training. Knowledge of various skills from weapon to starship navigation is done via neural implants, it doesn't mean that the subject is an expert but he/she now has the base knowledge to become better at it. As a result there is no such a thing as a non commissioned officer in the Federation military since the USFC encourages its members to not ascribe to a single skill but to multiple ones; the ones with a better proficiency are assigned to stations of importance and promoted accordingly instead of favoritism. This also means that the USFC has access to a near infinite pool of talents which can be further replenish via quick training, add the advance medical technology of the Federation, the loss of valuable soldiers is nearly non existent.

**USFN**

The USFN favors the philosophy of the 'Underdog' meaning that she is always expecting to encounter a superior foe either in terms of numerical or technological superiority but never in terms of skills and wits. Federation officers are encouraged to never fight fair, to always use the terrain to their advantage and to fight as dirty as possible. To that end Federation ships are a perfect balance of armor, speed and firepower; a single class of warship is design to be able to engage and withstand the charge of a larger group of similar vessels. Versatility is also very important in the USFN, a frigate is not just a screen for Capital ships; it can be a scout, a troop transport or a small fighter drone carrier if the need arises, to that end USFN ships are modular in nature allowing for a quick retrofit for a variety of roles. This is why many across the galaxy do not relish the prospect of fighting the Federation Navy let alone the other military branches of the Federation for even if victory is assured it will be a pyrrhic one at best, at worst it will end in a mutual defeat. Another factor that favors the USFN against other navies is that with enough fuel its warships can easily bypass strategic mass relays via conventional FTL without suffering from static kinetic build up and strike deep into the heart of enemy territories. Salarian STG suspects that the USFN has number of secret shipyards and other bases such as strategic stealth bombers in deep space near the border of every Council race or at least in proximity of their major centers but it has never been confirmed.

**USFMC**

The Federation Marine Corps is the premier response force in the event of a hostile event on a Federation world or to wage war against an enemy. It is also the first permanent multi-species military organization in history despite being primarily comprised of humans in majority; ironically the Batarians and Turians are the second majority followed by the Drell, Quarians and Asari. The Marine Corps does not make distinction between races, religion and genders, everyone in the Corps is considered as a brother and sister thus creating a wide but firm bond of unity.

USFMC is also considered to be the most skilled and technologically advanced infantry force in the galaxy. The Nano mods inside the body of every marine ensures perfect health and peak physical performance at all time, immunity to all known decease and harmful microbes as well as passive regeneration which can be boosted by Medigel.

The Marine Corps is divided into four branches:

The Star Wings in charge of aerial combat and transportation, they also drive and maintain the Marine Corps fleet of troop carriers and specialize in ship boarding operations.

The Iron Fists are in charge of mechanized warfare, primarily using Mechs; they are generally assigned as shock troopers or heavy assault.

The TechCom are the engineers, they specializes in building bases, setting up and defending supply and communication lines, demolishing enemy fortifications and are also in charge of electronic warfare.

The Helldivers are the primary reconnaissance group and employed as shock troopers due to their habit of deploying on a planet via individual orbital drop pods and the use of jetpacks during combat. The Helldivers have the largest amount of biotics in their ranks.

All four branches work together in tandem at all time and are organized under a Regimental Combine Team or RCT which is a quick reaction force of regiment size that can be deployed quickly on any given theater and capable of handling any situation if properly outfitted. While they are versatile in nature, some RCTs specialize in unique roles like the Grim Ligers who specializes in lightning strikes by using Mechs and gunships supplemented by grenadiers and commandos. There is also the Firehawks who specializes in orbital and airborne assaults on heavily defended positions thus its ranks are filled mostly with Helldivers and Star Wings Marines.

**Planetary Defense Force**

The PDF or militia is the military organization in charge of defending a Federation state world and its home system. The equipment and weaponry of the PDF is not as sophisticated or as devastating as the USFC but it is cheap, reliable and easy to use thus it is not unheard or uncommon to see some PDF using Council base weaponry as they are cheaper to buy and maintain.

While professional and well disciplined, PDF are purely defensive in nature however they have their own traditions and hierarchy so long as they conform to the USFC military code of conduct and the Geneva Conventions; they answer directly to the State President and will only acknowledge the authority of the USFC in times of Federal Emergency. As a result of these restrictions many PDF do not enjoy or barely tolerate the presence of the USFC especially when it comes to the matter of orbital installations and orbital defenses which are under the direct command of the Federation Navy or the Marine Corps. Ironically PDF are funded primarily by the Federation Treasury and although a State World is required and can fund their local troops, the funds given by the Treasury ensures that the PDF can expand accordingly without affecting the local economy further ensuring that the State World loyalty to the Federation.

**Fenrir**

Officially Fenrir is the USFC premier Special Forces group but unofficially it is a paramilitary group under the direct authority of the Security Council acting as a secret police force with agents in every Federal government branch to root out disruptive elements and spies, if necessary eliminate them. Fenrir operatives are selected from every branches of the USFC and some are from the law enforcements like the FBI or intelligence groups like the CIA.

The rank and structure of Fenrir is a close guarded secret and the mystery and theories behind it is done on purpose to preserve that secret.

The joining into Fenrir is strictly voluntary and the location of its training facilities is classified. All that is known is that the training has a seventy percent rate of failure and a forty percent rate of death. Fenrir operatives are generally recognized by their emblem a snarling blue wolf with a sword in its jaw and a tri-colored (red, white, black) shield in the background with a yellow star above it. The Wolf symbolize the predator and ferocial nature of Fenrir, the tri color shield has three meanings, the red represents the blood one must shed in the course of duty; the white represent the purity and innocence of the Federation citizens one must protect; the black represent the darkness one must embrace as a Fenrir. The Star is to represent the Federation as a whole.

Because of its actions during the Earth Global Unification, the Second Ceph Crisis and the events of Shanxi many considers Fenrir as the silent guardians of the Federation and its ideals. The Citadel Council sees them as most dangerous tool in the Federation arsenal and the ultimate counter against the Specters due to their skills and degree of autonomy especially those employing the dreaded Nanosuit.


	3. USF Database part 2

**Hello everyone, sorry for the wait but you know how real life is, priorities, priorities and then there was Halo 5 Guardians whose ending pissed me off royally. Seems Microsoft can't help itself with its money greedy work method and had to fuck up one of my favorite games. But I disgress, here is another codex this time describing the Marines and their various branch in details. I have also decided that the story portion for this fic will be separate while Prophet's Legacy will act as a Codex both for the story and for those who wish to take it as a challenge fic.**

**Enjoy!**

**USFMC**

The United Stars Federation Marine Corps is the premier response force in the event of a hostile event on a Federation world or to wage war against an enemy. It is also the first permanent multi-species military organization in history despite being primarily comprised of humans in majority; ironically the Batarians and Turians are the second majority followed by the Drell, Quarians and Asari, bringing all of their experience, skills and tradition to form a unique homogenous and terrifying force of nature. The Marine Corps does not make distinction between races, religion and genders, everyone in the Corps is considered as a brother and sister thus creating a wide but firm bond of unity.

USFMC is also considered to be the most skilled and technologically advanced infantry force in the galaxy. The Nano mods inside the body of every marine ensures perfect health and peak physical performance at all time, immunity to all known decease and harmful microbes as well as passive regeneration which can be boosted by Medigel.

The Marine Corps emphasize fast mobility and overwhelming firepower by using combine arm tactics and blitzkrieg strategies, the Marines exploits the weakest point and overwhelm it with massive amount of firepower while using surgical strikes on the enemy rear, crippling communications, supplies and moral thus sowing panic and confusion, the enemy core thus become wide open allowing the USFMC to deliver a final but devastating crippling blow. It is this shock and awe approach that is rarely seen coming that makes the USFMC such a terrifying force to challenge. Citadel military experts have described the USF Marines as possessing the brute strength of a Krogan with the discipline of a Turian and the cunning of an Asari while being led by a Salarian on the leash.

**Star Wing Branch**

**The Star Wing is in charge of aerial combat, transportation and airborne assault they also drive and maintain the Marine Corps fleet of troop carriers and specialize in ship boarding operations.**

There are three elite infantry class in the Star Wing Corps:

**Airmen:** The pilots of the Corps, Airmen often pilot the gunships or a variety of fighters for air to ground operations and also troop and cargo transports. Airmen are also the only ones to pilot aerial transformable Mechs outside of the Iron Fist Corps. Airmen use the Light class Exoskeleton Sparrow suit, increasing their reflexes and visual perception along with a hard light holo-shield for defense. The suit also enables flight and zero-g movement in vacuum. Airmen are also in charge of search and rescue on the battlefield or disaster affected areas thus many of them are professional medics, able to treat wounded on the field rapidly.

**Gargoyle:** Specialist in performing and repelling boarding assaults, Gargoyle personnel are always present onboard Federation warships, space-stations and space colonies. They use the Heavy class Scarab Exoskeleton Suit which provides protection against heavy weapons without sacrificing speed and mobility. The Scarab has built in shoulder jet packs and a dozen micro-pulse thrusters to allow full motion in zero-g environments, for additional protection the left arm has a collapsible carbon titanium riot shield enhanced with a kinetic barrier which can also be used to project a shockwave similar to the biotic attack of the same name. Gargoyles are very vicious in combat, using a mixture of leap frog and shock and awe tactics. Their armor has several built-in weapons consisting of micro grenade launchers, built in flamethrower, plasma cutter and mono-molecular claws. They always carry SMGs, shotguns and combat drones. The Gargoyles are extremely feared in the Terminus Systems and Batarian Hegemony due to their ruthlessness and viciousness that borders on terrorism but that attitude is only reserved to pirates and slavers for who the Gargoyles offer especially to the latter no pity or chance of surrendering. As a result piracy and slavery has dropped by 60 percent in the Traverse something unrecorded since the founding of the Citadel.

**Hawks:** They are the Airborne Infantry of the USFMC; their training is inspired from the airborne paratroopers of the former USA and the legendary US Rangers. Inserting discreetly behind enemy lines, securing strategic targets and ambushing enemies is their specialties. The Hawks use the Medium-class Icarus Exoskeleton suit for increase speed, strength and mobility as well as protection against light and medium fire. The Icarus like all exoskeleton has a built in Jetpack but unlike most it enables the user to hover above ground at a speed of 80 kilometers thus granting the Hawks with incredible mobility and wide range of tactics, especially in urban warfare. The Hawks generally employ a variety of light and medium weight weapons such as pistols, SMGs and sniper rifles, their trademark weapon however is M-96 Mattock, a deadly battle rifle. They also have access to light vehicles such as the Warthog and Puma IFV; they also make extensive use of recon attack drones, both light and heavy types.

**Iron Fists**

**The Iron Fists are in charge of mechanized warfare, primarily using Mechs; they are generally assigned as shock troopers or heavy assault. **

There are three classes of elite infantry:

**Raven:** They are combat pilots extensively trained to operate any type of vehicles. Ravens are highly mobile and adept to guerilla warfare. They use the Firefly Exoskeleton Suit which grants them superior agility and speed thanks to its mass effect core and twin jump jets allowing the user to bypass obstacles or even use them with a combination of Parcour skill and grappling hooks. The suit has photo reactive materials and can conceal body heat temperature thus granting the Raven passive stealth. The helmet has an integrated HUD, with night vision, thermal and magnetic sights all managed by an EVI which can also help into hacking computers and doors. Ravens generally carry light weaponry consisting of a pistol, SMG and a shotgun. Their Omni-tool also contains a large number of Tech attacks. They also carry a Nano-kit to manufacture tools, spare parts and explosives. Raven operatives often drop on the battlefield while piloting Mechs or infiltrate enemy lines by using Atmospheric Re-entry Shells (ARS) before calling for their vehicles via air or orbital drops.

**Goblin:** They are demolition specialists and experts in bomb disposal as well as masters of urban combat, especially in close doors. Goblin specialists use the Heavy class Wraith Exoskeleton Suit that is immune to small arm fire, flames and shrapnel. The Wraith has thick muscle fibers that increase the strength and reaction speed of the user, it doesn't have a jetpack due to its weight but it can enhance a person's jump significantly and has a grappling hook to climb obstacles. The Goblins preferred weapon of choice is the HCWS-17 Tam-Tam, a heavy drum fed action pump shotgun that can fire three types of ammunition: Tungsten incendiary flechettes; explosive plasma shells and sonic rounds. For suppression fire they can use HW-41 LMG Spitfire which is very deadly against light vehicles and it can also fire Disruptor and explosive rounds. Goblins also have built in grenade and mine fabricators in their armor allowing them to build a variety of explosives from high explosives to EMP or cryogenic charges.

**Myrmidons:** Named after the mythological warriors of ancient Greece, the Myrmidons are a very unique breed of soldiers for they employ battle suits; encased inside 4 meters tall suits of armor, Myrmidons are unstoppable shock troopers capable of destroying heavily defended positions and heavy vehicles by themselves with a wide arsenal of heavy weapons ranging from portable plasma mortars, missile launchers and Gauss canons. To deal with the infantry, Myrmidons generally carry heavy machine guns, grenade launchers and flamethrowers they also have a large variety of close combat weapons such as monomolecular machetes, heavy broadswords, shockwave hammers and even Plasma Axes depending on the pilot's taste. This is also the reason why they are one of the few units capable of fighting Krogans and Yagh in close combat or even Thresher Maws. Myrmidons are exceptionally feared by the denizen of the Terminus Systems, particularly the Batarian Hegemony due to their involvement in the Camala Massacre in September 2176 when the Hegemony used forty million slaves armed with explosives to terrorize the Federation forces, in retaliation fourteen thousand Myrmidons dropped from orbit and proceeded to methodically kill every Batarians on the planet with flamethrowers and plasma weapons, resulting in the death of sixteen millions Hegemony civilians and soldiers. After three days of rampage the Hegemony officials on the planet surrendered before they too were executed in public thus the Myrmidons earned the nickname of Scorchers.

**The TechCom are the engineers, they specializes in building bases, setting up and defending supply and communication lines, demolishing enemy fortifications and are also in charge of electronic warfare.**

**Guardians:** They specialize in defensive operations and are generally in charge of bases security or protecting supply convoys, outside of combat they participate in relief and humanitarian operations. Guardians use two types of Exoskeleton suit, the Medium-class Buckler suit and the Heavy-class Brontes suit. The Buckler is for frontline missions thus it offers a lot of mobility and descent protection. Its defensive features include the Hard Light Barrier or HLB system which creates a powerful semi spherical defensive field of hard light capable of withstanding large amount damage, the HLB can be used to protect the user or ally troops including vehicles but at the cost of staying stationary. The Brontes aside from being able to absorb more damage is slower than the Buckler thus it is often reserved for base personnel. The Brontes allows a Guardian to carry large amount of firepower and a larger Nano-Kit for building temporary structures or build combat drones. Also Brontes users have a large collapsible carbon titanium shield enhanced with kinetic and hard light barriers, the shield also has built in flamethrower and grenade launchers. Guardians often employ shotguns like the HCWS-17 Tam-Tam or M-59 Carnivore a rapid fire shotgun design to fire acidic plasma rounds that bypass barriers and melts armor, perfect against heavily armored targets and synthetics. They also use LMGs a lot like the HMG-88 Torrent which can fire 600 rounds a minute and has minimal recoil; the Torrent can also be deployed as a fixed automated turret. While not as infamous as other classes in the USFMC, the Guardians earned their reputation in 2173 when a Blood Pack mercenary group made of Krogan and Yagh Bloodletters hired by the Hegemony attempted to raid the colony of Ferris Field. Having discovered that the primary shelter was located outside the city, the Blood pack attacked it hoping for a quick slave grab with no opposition but instead they ran into a company of Guardian Marines who were protecting the shelters. Said company proceeded to single handedly wipe out two third of the raiding party with their Carnivore shotguns, resulting in the death of four hundred Yagh Blood Warriors and fifty Krogan Blood Pack, including twenty five Battlemaster. Since the battle, the Guardian company was given the privilege of forming an RCT around their specialties and took on the name of Bloody Mary due to the rumors of having made a pool of bright red blood from the corpses of their enemies next to a small chapel.

**Gremlin:** They specialize in infiltration, electronic warfare and sabotage. Gremlin specialists use the Black-Cloud Exoskeleton Suit which is optimized for speed, agility and stealth. It has built-in jetpacks and grappling hooks for bypassing obstacles and powerful kinetic barriers. The Gremlins carry formidable Tech attacks such as Overload to disable shields and electronics or Firaga a special Tech-App that creates a cloud of superheated air using electro-static waves and mass effect field that damages mass effect base weaponry due to excessive overheating across a wide area. Gremlins also have built in electro-static generators on their suit's arms, perfect for electrocuting enemies or destroying sensitive equipments. Their preferred weapons are heavy pistols like PWS-9 Smart Pistol which can target and fire on multiple targets using smart ammunition or the SMG Fire Scorpion that delivers tungsten plasma rounds.

**Hecatonchires:** The best combat engineers in the Federation, the Hecatonchires are the ones in charge of maintaining and defending the Federation supply lines as well constructing bases, bunkers and many other things. The Hecatonchires are unique due to the fact that they are able to control by themselves large numbers and variety of combat or engineering drones due to the neural nano-interface inside their brains. Hecatonchires use the Heavy class Vulcan Exoskeleton suit, a very unique piece of equipment that enables the user to interface and control various types of machineries. This is due to USF reverse engineering the Nanosuit 2.0 Remote Hacking ability and integrating the feature into the nano-neural interface thus granting the Hecatonchires with some limited technopathy. The Vulcan suit has also a built in Nano-manufacturing and fabrication system that enables the user to use materials to build parts, tools with nanomachines, with enough time and power a Hecatonchires can construct a weapon, a building and even a vehicle thus partially eliminating the need of bringing supplies on the field, the Hecatonchires creates it on the spot. With the Vulcan suit, a Hecatonchires can carry and use more weapons than anyone in the Marine Corps due to the four extra mechanical arm gimmicks. Hecatonchires are often deployed in squads of four or eight and supported by robotic combat and construction platforms; they also lead or assist Guardian Companies.

**The Helldivers are the primary reconnaissance group and employed as shock troopers due to their habit of deploying on a planet via individual orbital drop pods and the use of jetpacks during combat. The Helldivers have the largest amount of biotics in their ranks.**

**Commando:** Perhaps the most infamous class of Helldivers, Commandos are the deadliest soldiers in the galaxy. Trained in the harshest environments the galaxy has to offer, the death rate of a Commando in training is 60 percent. Commandos are trained in infiltration, subterfuge and guerilla warfare, they are also accomplished marksman and experts in CQC. Those with biotic potentials are trained to use their abilities to enhance their physical prowesses. Commandos often use the Medium class Midnight Exoskeleton suit which is optimized for stealth and guerilla warfare. The Midnight suit is also capable of atmospheric re-entry by deploying ablative gel cocoon and kinetic field to protect the user from the heat of re-entry and atmospheric pressure. Using a mixture of electrogravitics and mass effect fields a Commando can slow his/her descent safely at any altitude, making it perfect for HALO and orbital drops. The suit also has nano vision and a **SECOND** class AI to provide tactical options on the battlefield. For biotic commandos, the Midnight suit can be modified to have built in Element Zero nodules maintained inside a nano-layer fabric that boost the biotic reserves and capabilities of the user, there is also a cocktail of nutrients and drugs to feed the user in case of a lack of available food.

**Havoc Trooper:** Where a Commando is silent and deadly, the Havoc Trooper is just plain loud and brutal. Havoc Troopers have extensive Nano-modification to allow their body to survive massive amount of damages and trauma. This is because the Havoc Troopers are generally dropped from orbit via re-entry pods, often in the middle of a warzone or in heavily defended areas. Their job as per their namesake is to wreak havoc, to accomplish that job they wear the Titan Exoskeleton Suit, a heavy piece of armor yet grants superb speed and agility. Havoc Troopers carry a mixture of medium and heavy weaponry along with lots of explosives but they always carry close combat weapons such as machetes, monomolecular axes or neural maces due to their nature of fighting in close quarters. Some also tend to favor flamethrowers and grenade launchers. Biotics amongst Havoc Troopers are extremely brutal due to having a biotic neural amplifier in their suit thus boosting their combat abilities to a degree that they can rival an Asari Matriarch although that has yet to be fully proven. Havoc Troopers are also one of the few classes of soldiers capable of fighting a Krogan warrior in close combat although they often results in pyrrhic victories. Human, Batarians and Turians are the most prolific amongst the Havoc Troopers, although there are a few Asari and Drell that have proven their mettle, however the Havoc have the highest rate of casualties than any other group in the USFMC due to the nature of their deployment and the hazardous missions they perform. Nonetheless they are feared and respected across the galaxy for their lethality and unwavering determination in accomplishing the mission even in the face of suicidal odds. The motto of the Havoc Troopers is, _**Jump in hell but die on your feet**_.

**Nova:** The ultimate biotic soldier, Nova soldiers use the NXL5 Biotic implant along with nano neural layer under their skin that contains and manage powerful Eezo nodules within their bloodstream. The Nova uses the Quasar Exoskeleton Suit, design specifically for biotic users. The Quasar has a network of element zero nodules that act as an amplifier for the user and a spare energy reserves for biotic power. Nova Troopers are trained to fight and defeat numerically superior opponents in direct and indirect combat thus their abilities are on par with an Asari Matriarch or Krogan Battlemaster. Like the Havoc Trooper and Commando, Nova Troopers are deployed via orbital drop, however unlike the others; a Nova uses its onboard electrostatic and biotic fields to create an antigravity and protective barrier to land on the ground not before unleashing a massive shockwave around the LZ. Nova Troopers are expert in close combat, especially with the sword as many amongst their ranks favor the Katana, broadswords or Neural Maces. A new weapon that has become popular recently is the Chain blade a segmented sword, which uses element zero to allow biotics to control the length and direction of the weapon like a whip, in the hands of a master it is extremely deadly.

**USFMC Equipment:**

**Exoskeleton Suit: **The successor of the Nano-Armor, the Exoskeleton suit or Exo is a semi-organic electro-mechanical harness design to increase the strength, speed and agility of a soldier as well as providing protection against weapon's fire and environmental hazards. The semi-organic aspect of the Exo suit is the artificial muscle fiber reverse engineered from the Nanosuit technology along with a neural interface that connect into the user's nervous systems, the user's reaction time and sensorial perception are increased at super-sentient levels making them as deadly as a Nanosuit user. Exo-suits are powered by a plasma fusion cell battery that doesn't need recharge for up to a hundred years, along with a mass effect core to reduce the weight, the Exo-suit is very light by most equipment standards and very easy to customize thus offering a wide range of options. There are three types of Exo-Suits: Light, Medium and Heavy. All Marine personnel and in the Navy employ Exoskeleton Suits. Outside of the military, Exo-Suits are very popular especially in areas of construction works such as deep space engineering and mining operations in hazardous environment.

**EVI: **Extended Virtual Intelligence, EVI are the successors of traditional VIs, unlike Vis, EVIs process more information and faster, they can learn from experience and improve upon their parameters but not to the point where they can become fully sentient, although their ability to interact with organics is superior to common VI. In the event that an EVI becomes sentient it is immediately black box and quarantined until it is determined that it would not be a threat to organics.

**Nano-Kit:** A device which contains a pre-requisite amount of nanomachines; Nano-Kits are often used by engineers for building and repair projects. They are the closest thing to a universal constructor. Nano-Kits can create a variety of tools, parts ranging from electronic, mechanical and even explosives. Superconductive materials are also possible but require specific type of resources and large amount of energy. Nano-Kits also have safeguards in them to prevent the replication of certain products such as military grade explosives, or weapon parts unless being a member of a military, even then one requires a license and a background check to be allowed such possibilities. Only a license operated user can use a Nano-Kit, in the hands of an unlicensed member the device will remain inert, military version will self destruct…violently.

**Weapons: **

Bullets:

Most Federation weapons use ballistic bullets instead of pellet rounds. The reason for using this type of ammunition is for many reasons, the first one is because standard kinetic barriers for infantry and vehicles are design to stop object firing at hypervelocity, and thus the sensors won't be able to calibrate fast enough to stop the bullet. Second, a ballistic bullet packs ten times more kinetic strength than a standard mass effect round thus even if the barrier is properly calibrated it will lose effectiveness after a second or third shot. Third is the penetrating power of bullets. USF bullets are plasma forged and laser sharpened enabling them to easily shatter or pierce Citadel base armor which are commonly carbon ceramic base, as a side effect the armor becomes a danger for the wearer as the debris would lodge themselves into his/her flesh.

Firing technology: USFC military technology employs a mixture of electromagnetic; magnetic, gas propulsion to create versatile and deadly weapons. Unlike the other factions in the galaxy, those weapons are rarely dependent on mass effect fields except for an increase velocity or weight reduction. The advantages are that these weapons rarely suffer from overheating, are more durable than standard ME base weapons. Prior to the Skyllian War, the only drawback was limited ammunitions but with advancements made in micro-fabrication technology and the use of Omnigel such constraints are now removed.

Pistol:

**PDW-8 Predator:** The Predator uses a gas piston firing system with a magnetic coil enhanced barrel and a mass effect field at the end of said barrel to decrease the weight of the bullet and increase it speed to hypersonic levels thus it can easily shatter the most powerful of kinetic barriers and pierce armor but at the cost of a slow albeit descent firing rate. It ammunition system uses the mass effect field ammo sheering system coupled with a nano-fabricator to manufacture bullets instead of small slugs. Its modular systems allow for a large range of customization such as improved targeting systems, reduced recoil, increase magazine and customize ammunition. The Predator is considered as the main service weapon of the USFMC but several variants exists and is also in used by the Federation Navy and various law enforcement agencies. After several Citadel agents, including eight Specters were assassinated by civilian versions of the PDW-8, the Citadel Council has marked the Predator as illegal. Federation military and law enforcement personnel are excluded but must carry a class-9 weapon permit when in Citadel space.

**PWS-9 Smart Pistol:** Affection ally called the Smart Ass by Federation Marines; the Smart Pistol is a unique and dangerous firearm. As its name suggests the pistol fires smart guided ammunitions that can bypass cover or kill a specific target even if surrounded by multiple people. The pistol can also fire a single bullet that will split into several monomolecular shards and each target independently a variety of pre-selected targets making it the perfect tool for assassination. The Smart Pistol is used exclusively by the Gremlin Marines, Fenrir operatives and CIA field agents. Of course the pistol in question is considered highly illegal in Citadel space and anyone caught in possession of it is considered an enemy spy or assassin.

**PDW-66 Siren:** The Siren uses focus sonic waves to incapacitate or to kill its target. Since barriers and armor have no effect on it, it is a very popular weapon with law enforcement groups such as the FBI, E-SWAT and C-SEC. The only reason why it is not often favored by assassins and covert ops is because the Siren has a built in feature that emits a high pitch sound when fired thus making it recognizable. Nonetheless the pistol has acquired a solid reputation and fear in the galaxy, especially the criminal underworld as it is often the preferred weapon for executions. There are rumors of a Siren variant that doesn't emits any sound but so far no one has been able to confirm its existence.

**PDW-25 Sunfire:** Currently the only pistol capable of firing plasma shells, the Sunfire is very deadly but requires an expert touch due to its slow firing rate and use of rechargeable fuel cells. However it is very accurate and its range is exceptional for a pistol thus it is favored by many marksmen in the Federation military. The Sunfire comes with two types of plasma ammunitions, the first is called pyro ammo which like its name has an incendiary effect on upon contact will cover a target with a shell of viscous high temperature plasma liquid that will increase in temperature as it consumes the surrounding oxygen. The second type is Fleche, the French word for arrow; in this case the plasma will pierce armor and explode from the inside.

Shotgun:

**HCWS-17 Tam-Tam:** Heavy Combat Weapon Systems Type 17, the Tam-Tam is a very dangerous weapon in close quarters and urban combat. A Heavy drum fed action pump shotgun inspired from the action pump 12 gauge shotgun developed in the 20th century, the Tam-Tam can fire three types of ammunition: Tungsten Incendiary flechettes that pierces armor and burn their targets from the inside. Explosive plasma shells which are perfect against heavily armored targets and can also bypass kinetic barriers due to the plasma energy spilling out of the shells once they made contact with a target and finally sonic rounds which shatters eardrums and create internal damage in an organic body. The Tam-Tam following its introduction became very popular with the Marines, especially the Goblin specialists of the Iron Fists, the Gargoyles of the Star Wing and the Guardians of TechCom due to its versatility, light weight and sheer destructive power. A civilian version call the Drummer exists but is considered illegal in Citadel space despite being less powerful than the Tam-Tam.

**M-55 Carnivore: **A shotgun design to make full use of the Federation plasma technology, the Carnivore is a heavy shotgun that fires concentrated plasma rounds which upon contacts with a target have an acidic effect that dissolve any materials. This makes the Carnivore an extremely dangerous weapon. The inside of the weapon has a built in cryogenic module that produces super chilled air, in conjunction with advance superconductive materials, thus the Carnivore doesn't overheat and can fire almost indefinitely. It is also the only weapon Krogan and Yagh fear/respect above all else in the federation arsenal due to the acidic effect neutralizing Krogan regeneration and piercing the Yagh thick skin in one shot. The Salarian Union and many Terminus factions have tried repeatedly to acquire the weapon specs but the Carnivore anti fabrication system and biometric failsafe makes it a hopeless and costly endeavor. The Carnivore is produced by Akhenaton Gears Industry, a weapons manufacturer own and managed by retired USFMC veterans.

Assault Rifle:

**ICR:** The Integrated Combat Rifle, is the standard assault rifle of the USFMC, like the Predator pistol it uses a gas firing chamber, with magnetic enhanced rails and a mass effect field to fire hyper velocity bullet rounds. The ICR integrated ammo manufacturing system can easily produce a variety of bullets, from AP (Armored Piercing), EMP rounds to Armored Piercing Explosive Round. It also has hard points for target scope, laser sight, grenade launcher and even Omni-bayonet making it a very versatile weapon.

**Mattock: **One of the first firearms developed to make full use of mass effect technology, the Mattock is a battle rifle capable of firing semi round burst with lethal precision or full burst with a minimum of recoil. Despite its age, the Mattock is still in use and widespread across Federation territories as well as Citadel and Terminus space. The Hawk Troopers of the Sky Wing Branch use the Mattock extensively but theirs is different from the standard versions due to it being upgraded with integrated ammo manufacturing system and a cooling module.

**AK-147: **Successor of the venerable AK-47, the AK-147offers a good rate of fire, with minimal recoil but average precision it is also very customizable with a variety of Federation or Citadel parts. Like its predecessor the Ak-147 can survive the most hazards of environmental conditions and its cheap price makes it a favored weapon for many around the galaxy ranging from USF State world' PDFs to Mercenary groups.

SMG:

**Locust: **Developed by Kassa Fabrications, the Locust is a mixture of precision and firepower in a small package. It is one of the few SMGs that can be outfitted with a sound suppressor making it a favored weapon for assassinations and covert ops. The Locust is preferred by Gremlins, Ravens and Commandos. The weapon is available for export outside of Federation space and is greatly favored by Asari Commandos and Salarian STG.

**Fire Scorpion:** A rapid fire weapon, the Fire Scorpion fire plasma encased inside tungsten bullets, allowing bypassing armor and cooking the target inside. It is very useful against armored targets and Krogans. The only drawback is that it consumes ammo fast and the reload time is slow but in the hands of an expert it can be very lethal. The Fire Scorpion is the preferred weapon of the Gremlins, Gargoyles, Guardians, Havoc and Nova Troopers.

Sniper Rifle:

**HLR 11 Marabou:** Developed by Sykes Firearms, the Hyper Long range Rifle is considered as the most deadly sniper rifle in the galaxy. Advance targeting scanners that can calculate wind speed, temperature and analyze a target's weakness for optimal destruction. The barrel uses a mixture of magnetic coils and negative mass effect fields to fire a bullet at hypersonic velocity, enabling it to penetrate most obstacles, including armored vehicles. The drawback is that the Marabou can only fire three shots before the capacitors are empty until recharge cycle which lasts about five to ten seconds which is a lifetime on the battlefield. Expert marksman however have learned to do with that weakness by carefully timing each shot to the point that they can fire dozen rounds without fully draining the capacitors.

**Heartbreaker:** A powerful sniper rifle that uses smart guided ammunition to bypass obstacles or penetrate through them by finding their weakest points. Like the smart pistol, the bullet can split into segmented parts and lock on multiple targets (max 5). It can also fire a variety of warheads, making it a very versatile weapon on the battlefield. There are several variants of the Heartbreaker employed by the military and various law enforcements groups.

**Vehicles: **The Iron Fists are in charge of the mechanized divisions, but most vehicles aside from tanks are used by all branches of the USFMC.

**MRV-55 Puma **

The Puma is the USF Marine Corps premier Infantry Vehicle, mounted on a six wheel chassis, the Puma is well armored and has enough space to accommodate a single tactical squad (eight marines) along with their equipments. The Puma has also an onboard medical system to heal wounded personnel and Tac-Com system for battlefield management. The Puma is very fast and its advance suspension system and mass effect core allows it to carry a significant amount of firepower and armor without sacrificing speed and agility. The Puma primary weapon is 125mm Gauss canon mounted on a turret cupola placed on the forward body; secondary armaments consists of a multi-purpose rocket launcher that can target air and ground units; a plasma grenade launcher and two 45mm machine guns mounted on swivels. A Puma is generally used for reconnaissance missions or hit and run strikes thus its designation MRV stands for Mobile Reconnaissance Vehicle; they can be airlifted or dropped from orbit while using jump jets and mass effect fields to enter a planet's atmosphere. The Puma is used by every branch of the USFMC but it is heavily favored by the Star the Hawks.

**MAV-59 Leo**

Where the Puma is used for discretion, the Leo is made to provide a brutal statement. As a Mobile Assault Vehicle (MAV), the Leo uses an eight wheel chassis carrying thirty tons of carbon titanium armor, it can carry 4 Tactical Squads (32 Marines) and also act as a mobile command center. While slower than the Puma, the Leo is quite fast for its size but its lack of agility is compensated by its thick armor, kinetic barriers and heavy armament that can easily compete with most modern armored vehicles but its true role is to breach heavily defended areas and disgorge or retrieve friendly forces. The Leo primary weapons are 150mm Gauss Canon which can fire a variety of shells ranging from AP; HEAT or EMP, followed by a plasma mortar to dislodge fortified enemy infantry. Secondary armaments consist of a six tubes missile launcher pod, two 45mm machine gun turrets and four Piranhas Combat Drones. Like the Puma, the Leo is capable of orbital/atmospheric drop.

The Leo has a proud history, starting its combat debut during the battles of Rakana and Shanxi; it had originally been assumed by the Turians and Batarians that the vehicle was the USF main battle tank due to the fact that few enemies survived an encounter with it. The Leo is mostly used by the Iron Fist Corps but Tech-Com does employ a lot of them as well due to its cargo capacity. A variant of Leo known as the White Leo is used exclusively for Med-Evac and disaster relief operations thus it doesn't carry weapons except for a couple of machine guns and powerful kinetic barriers.

**AMV-70 Python**

The USF main battle tank, measuring 14 meters in length, 4 in heights covered in two inches of plasma forged titanium, reinforced with nano-carbon armor plating; weighting 150 tons mounted on two threads powered by a plasma electric engine and capable of maximum speed of 183 kilometers per hour, the Python is an intimidating sight. Its primary weapons are two 180mm Gauss canons mounted on a single turret; one plasma mortar, four six tubes missile launchers, four gun pods, two grenade launchers and two Barracuda Combat Reconnaissance Drones. The Python aside from its kinetic barriers is also equip with a plasma barrier but it can only be used while stationary and can only face on direction at a time, nonetheless the plasma barrier has proven to be extremely powerful in withstanding massive amount of firepower short of a nuclear attack or orbital strike, making it useful as a temporary static unit.

Introduced late during the Skyllian War, the Python proved devastating against Batarian and Turian armored forces even when outnumbered. Throughout the conflict only sixteen Pythons were lost and with no fatalities thus earning the title of the most powerful tank in the galaxy.

**GTU-77 Taurus**

The Ground Tactical Unit Model 77 Taurus is a bipedal mech that can transform into a battle tank. Its primary mode or Mech mode is a 12 meters humanoid shape with thick armor plating and threads underfoot for increase mobility. In this configuration the Taurus can function as an artillery unit with its twin railgun canon fixed behind the shoulders and missile pods on the legs. Its arms can be used for melee combat along with retractable monomolecular blades in the wrists and heavy machine guns on the chest. In tank mode the Taurus is very fast and more heavily armored, in this configuration it has a feature call siege mode that boost the range and power of its canons but at the cost of mobility, making it an artillery platform. Taurus is piloted mostly by Raven operatives and can be dropped from air or orbit but Guardian Marines do use them on occasions to defend bases or escort large convoys in hostile territories.

**ATU-49 Cyclone**

The aerial counterpart of the Taurus, the Cyclone is a Mech that can transform into a gunship and provide air support or engage aerial units. Often call the Flying Chicken or Bird on Legs by the Marines, the Cyclone is a fast and agile vehicle, it has two alternate configurations, Bird mode which is for aerial combat, in the air or vacuum, it can engage targets with its powerful plasma canons mounted under the nose and two six tubes micro missile pods under the wings. On Walker mode, the Cyclone can walk on solid surfaces but also has much greater mobility due to the hover pulse thrust vectoring nozzles under the legs, enabling it to dodge enemy fire and circle around targets. Under this configuration the Cyclone can unleash a massive amount of firepower with its micro-rocket pods hidden in the legs and wings, along with machine guns.

**BAT-105 Atlas**

The Bipedal Armored Trooper is the culmination of a century of engineering and studies to develop the perfect mech. While there exist a variety of B. , the Atlas is the most prolific and most versatile in the USF arsenal. Shape like a humanoid measuring 8 meters and heavily armored, the Atlas uses a slave motion control system that enables the pilot to move and articulate the mech like a real humanoid, meaning it can run, jump, crouch and even crawl. The Atlas is unique due to the fact that it has handheld weapons ranging from medium to long range and close range combat, this is because the Atlas was developed not only to act as a support for infantry but to also deal with potential enemy mechs as well as act as a psychological weapon. The Atlas has hard points to attach a number of external weapons and allow infantry to mount it. It has jump jets on its legs and back torso to jump across obstacles or slow its descent during orbital/air drops. In case of emergency the pilot can eject from the Atlas; it also has a self destruct feature that combines a mixture of explosive, shrapnel and EMP to inflict as much damage as possible. The Atlas also has a sophisticated EVI (Enhanced Virtual Intelligence) that assists the pilot and can even engage autonomously without a pilot or using voice command; however it lacks the instinctive edge and imagination to make complex maneuvers thus it is generally employed to prevent hostile boarding or perimeter watch while the pilot is away.

The Atlas was used extensively during the Skyllian War, one notable event was the Battle of Amaranthine in June 2177, a Turian fortress world where the Atlas was used in large numbers via orbital drop to destroy Hierarchy surface to orbit batteries and command centers. Since the end of the war the Turian Hierarchy and the Salarian Union have been working really hard to develop their own Mechs to counter the Atlas with some modicum of success. The USFMC 11th RCT aka Iron Men is one of the few groups to employ almost exclusively the Atlas Mech and its variants.

**MOLC: Mobile Orbital Logistic Center**

An army doesn't run on an empty stomach, a philosophy that humanity has learned the hard way in its long history of warfare. During the Second Ceph Incursion, the former UEA was faced with a massive problem of logistics and adequate operating base due to Mars hostile environment and the Ceph constant attrition. After the discovery of mass effect technology, military engineers came with the idea of developing a mobile base that would provide everything an army needed without the constant need of a supply chain. The results of that idea was the MOLC, in essence a giant flying box containing troop barracks, command and communication centers, medical facilities, hangar bays for ground and air vehicles, supply storage facilities and manufacturing of organic and non organic supplies to feed an entire regiment far away from home. In terms of defense, the MOLC is armed with a Guardian laser defense array, CIWS railguns, missile batteries and a plasma barrier. With its anti-gravity technology supplemented with mass effect fields, the MOLC could easily enter a planet atmosphere without assistance and leave when finished.

It wasn't until the Skyllian War that the MOLC proved its worth especially during the battles of Shanxi and the Turian colony of Amaranthine the latter where the USFC laid siege with hundreds of these airborne fortresses. Their only vulnerability is a dedicated air or orbital attack but even then, MOLCs barriers are powerful enough to withstand such damage until reinforcements arrive. Latest iterations are now capable of FTL jumps (albeit limited) and mount Disruptor Torpedoes along with powerful particle canons.

There are several variants of MOLC in use by USFMC; for starters the Chapel variant is used by the Marines to act as a garrison base for colonies that have yet to reach State world status. It has construction modules to build fix structures and defensive emplacements like bunkers and shelters.

The Pioneer variant is used for building outposts and even colonial settlements, thus it only carries defensive weapons and large amount of fighters, generally combat drones. The Teresa variant is used strictly as a hospital ship to treat wounded troops or assist in rescue operations of civilians in disaster areas.

The Turian Hierarchy being one of the few to have experienced the other end of such weapons has begun developing their own MOLC with assistance from the Salarian Union.

**Locust Gunboat:**

One of the few warships operated exclusively by the USFMC, the Locust Gunboat is an oddity and a tactical terror on the battlefield as it is the primary artillery platform of the Marines.

Measuring 120 meters in length, this ship is design to provide aerial and ground support to the Marines by deploying its complement of 658 EVI controlled combat drones codename UCD-77 Wasp. Each Wasp measures eight meters and resemble their insect namesake, it is armed with triple barrel Gatling machine gun turret fixed on the tail with 260 degree firing arc, side mounted eight tubes multipurpose missile launchers and a plasma canon mounted under the nose.

The Locust act as their carrier and provide maintenance and repairs, it also provides electronic warfare and fire support with eight plasma canons along with four Gauss artillery canons all located inside the ventral structure of the ship. For defense against aerial threats, the Locust has powerful kinetic barriers and missile batteries but it can't fight against warships thus requiring dedicated fighter or ship escorts. The presence of a Locust on the battlefield usually means that the enemy has virtually no chance winning as it can unleash enough firepower from extreme altitude without suffering retribution.

**Chariot Troop ship:**

Often considered the ugliest piece of junk in the Federation, the Chariot is the USFMC primary troop transport, shape like a maladjusted metal box with six large armored plasma thruster engine pods, measuring eighty eight meters in length and twenty in height, the Chariot can carry an entire company of troops along with their assorted gear and vehicles. Design for rapid deployment and recovery, the Chariot is heavily armored and has strong kinetic barriers. It is armed with eight Guardian laser turrets, six heavy machine guns, a six tubes missile launcher and two plasma turrets, giving it the firepower to land in hostile areas without much needed support. It also carries large number of drops for rapid orbital or aerial insertion in enemy territories. The Chariot can also be used as a fix defensive emplacement or even a bunker once it has ejected its engine pods.

**CV-69 Pegasus Dropship:**

A versatile aerospace craft, the Pegasus has been in service since the early days of the UEA and continues to the serve the Federation as it is constantly upgraded and maintained due to its low cost and versatility. An all weather transport with descent armament and protection, the Pegasus is considered the workhorse of the USFMC and it is employed in every kind of operations.

There are several variants of Pegasus being used in the Federation; the most common is the TS variant which stands for Troops and Support, in this configuration the Pegasus can transport two squads of Marines in its troop compartment located in the middle section and can carry one vehicle attach to the rear tail section. The TS version is armed with a nose mounted gatling pod, an automated turret on each side of the troop compartment and two four tubes missile pods fixed on each wing which makes it useful in providing fire support to friendly forces.

The GS variant stands for Ground Suppression and is used to provide heavy fire support against fortified enemy positions or armored vehicles, in this form, the Pegasus carries a large number of air to ground missiles and a plasma canon, the troop compartment is used as an ammo compartment and to house the generator for the plasma.

The SR version stands for Search and Rescue, as the name implies its purpose is to recover stranded or injured military personnel or assist injured civilians if needed. In this configuration, the SR has no weapons and relies entirely on its kinetic barriers and ECM for defense since it needs to conserve as much space and weight to carry rescue teams and injured patients. SRs are generally escorted by fighter drones for additional protection or even other gunships.

**TV65 Vulture:**

An attack gunship, the Vulture provides aerial and ground support to ground forces and act as an escort for aerial transports it can also operate in space but it is not a true space fighter due to its limited fuel and range. The Vulture is armed with an Electron laser turret mounted under the nose, six eight tubes missile launchers mounted on hard points under the wings and additional and 700 tons carrying capacity bomb bay in the ventral section.

**As you can see the Marines are not pussy footing around and while they appear very OP, keep in mind that humanity's fight against the Ceph was extremely brutal, add the fact that the Ceph are extra galactic and can evolve their technology rapidly to match their foes, the USFMC needs to be as extremely aggressive as possible and unleash the motherload of all firepower to defeat such enemy. Currently there are only two factions capable of giving the USFMC a true challenge and that's not counting the Reapers, Ceph and Geth.**

**Most of the inspiration for the various Marine units came from Halo, Destiny, Titanfall, Battlefield 2149, Call of Duty Black Ops and Macross.**


End file.
